


Beyond Love

by Schway_Omega



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman Beyond, Batman: The Animated Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:20:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23439088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schway_Omega/pseuds/Schway_Omega
Summary: A potential one-shot that can extend to something more: When Terry McGinnis returns back to the Batcave, he gets an uncomfortable surprise when he sees the news.
Relationships: Paxton Powers/Deanna Clay
Kudos: 10





	Beyond Love

**Author's Note:**

> A quick story to get back into writing Batman Beyond. I'm planning on doing other one shots and mini-stories in the fandom. If people want, I'm happy to continue this or other stories like this. Let me know what you think!

Terry had been down in the cave for some time. He had been so exhausted to try and go back to his apartment with Max. Bruce had installed a bed in the cave for the later half of his career. According to the old man, it was a lifesaver when his butler had gotten too old to carry Bruce up to his bedroom. Terry hasn't put much stock into it. He had to get back home every night and before school started. After dealing with a group of Jokerz armed with some new guns off he streets and some spliced snakes and hyenas though, Terry felt it was close to torture to even make the attempt. It was the first good sleep he had in ages and his muscles would thank him for not making the effort to go back home. It would have been nice to wake up and immediately see Dana, but he’d get home when he could. 

Pulling himself out of the marshmallow soft bed, Terry hoisted himself to the unmanned computer. The cave was empty save for the exhausted bats roosting above him. There was no sign of anyone else. The old man was probably crashing upstairs and Ace was probably with him. While the temptation to get moving was encouraging, Terry knew he should at least check on the news. He hissed in some breath and pulled himself up, his back tensing from the injuries he had gotten from last night.

Flipping on the computer, the local Gotham news flickered on. The bottom of the screen was detailing the stocks, investment options, and anything else of note. The talking head however was already ending whatever it was talking about.

“—Gotham’s juvenile hall will be resembling the outdated circuses in no time. In the financial world, news is buzzing as Paxton Powers, former CEO of Wayne-Powers and son of Derek Powers and confirmed super criminal 'Blight', has just announced his engagement.”

Engagement?!? Terry could feel his jaw slack as he did his best to stand upright. He always knew Paxton eventually got out of jail due to a lot of luck, lawyers, money, and a shiny new ankle bracket, but he had been locked up for years. He had been locked up for the remainder of Terry's high school days and already a good chunk of his college time. Yet despite all that, Terry was having problems processing any of this. Who in their right mind would want to marry Paxton Powers, the biggest Gotham dreg outside of his old man?

The news program was quick to answer. Paxton’s jovial smile showed up on screen along with a young woman, close to his age. She wasn't like most of Paxton's previous arm candy. She wasn't blonde with enough jewels on the outside and plastic on the inside to fit his regular type. This woman had short brown hair, a large hooked nose and a winning smile as she looped her arm around Paxton’s. Terry had to take a moment to realize this wasn’t someone random: it was someone he knew.

“Wonderful…” 

The voice shocked him. Terry turned to see a figure standing at the upstairs entrance to the cave. Bruce, clinging to his cane, hobbled his way down the stairs, followed closely by his shadow, Ace.

“Can you believe this?” Terry said, gesturing towards the news program. “Paxton gets out of jail and ends up with someone like Deanna Clay?”

Terry has only run into Deanna Clay on one occasion. They had never run into each other until he put on the mask, which was never a good way to meet people in his book. She was some woman going through credits like people went through Kleenex. She wouldn’t have hopped onto Terry’s radar to begin with if it wasn’t for her mother: Inque. She inherited her mother's money much like how Paxton inherited Wayne-Powers temporarily: attempted patricide. 

“Hm.” Bruce hobbled forward and into his chair. Increasing the volume, Bruce was fixated on the screen. The news feed was now streaming outside Paxton’s new residence with Deanna beaming. It was something new and already large enough to keep Paxton and Deanna safe from the outside world. Terry couldn’t help but notice the rock that took up an entire joint on her ring finger. 

“Despite several accusations being cleared up in court, most of Gotham would prefer me to be back in my room at Stonegate Penitentiary. But Deanna was one of the few people willing to look past the slander. We met, we bonded, and we fell in love. While I can’t promise an exact wedding date, be assured that this beautiful and stunning woman is going to be with me til the day I die.”

“Hopefully she doesn’t get any ideas after what she did to Inque…” Terry muttered. Even if Inque’s death wasn’t real, the fact that Deanna was still alive and well in the public eye made Terry wonder if Deanna was really going to get away with attempted murder in her mother’s eyes. Paxton may not have had the Powers wealth or scandal proof armor he once had, but was Deanna going to try something? She was all smiles as she leaned over and planted a kiss on Paxton’s cheek as several cameras were sure to get an image for that.

“Doubtful” Bruce grumbled, moving Terry to the side so he could sit down. “Paxton is too valuable. He doesn’t have the influence he once did in the city, but he still owns parts of Powers Technologies and the Hotels. He has standing and Powers is an old family name. They have friends in the right places and Deanna is making it harder for herself to be targeted by Inque, even if she’s a target. Besides...they’re made for each other.”

Gagging, Terry shook his head. “Come on, those two? You think this is real?”

“You’re asking my opinion on relationships again, Terry?” Bruce muttered. Terry couldn’t help but see a dry smirk as the old man gave his young ward a side eye. “It’s not uncommon for criminals to feel attracted to each other. There’s numerous examples even outside of Gotham. The only difference here is Deanna and Paxton don’t openly commit crimes.”

“Well yeah...I mean you got Joker and Harley...and Harley and Ivy. I know those two. Everyone does.” Everyone in Gotham knew the love triangle of Harley Quinn and it was hard for most Jokerz to not bring up one of the classic crime couples of Gotham. Terry just wasn’t sure if the Eco-terrorist metahuman was an upgrade to the homicidal maniac, but considering his own experience with the Joker, he would consider Harley's choice in Ivy a step in the right direction. “Who else is there?”

“For just super criminals in relationships with one another and not motivated by love?” Bruce asked. Terry nodded. “Well that cuts the list down. Waylon Jones and Mary Dahl had a one-sided relationship. Dahl sympathized with Croc over being outcasts based on appearances. Poison Ivy dated Harvey Dent and was engaged to him prior to his accident. Kirk and Francine Langstrom, but calling them “villains” is debatable. I wouldn't even know what to classify Kirk's protege from the Cult of the Bats. There’s not many of them who actually stuck together, settled down or worked together outside of the Royal Flush Gang.”

“That’s the last thing anyone needs Bane Junior or the Penguin having a kid.” Terry groaned. Thinking of the Royal Flush Gang wasn't helping his mood either. Though the thought of them and the news did bring a small moment of hope. History had shown that these things had fallen to pieces before. Paxton was a chronic backstabber, especially after the stunts he pulled with the Royal Flush Gang, Bruce and Paxton’s own father was an indication. Deanna was quieter than Paxton and hadn’t gotten into any trouble recently. “Want me to keep an eye on them?”

“We won’t go out of our way” Bruce muttered. “You have other duties in Gotham. But it doesn’t hurt to keep an eye on them to see if there’s anything we need to be worried about. Go back home and get some sleep” Bruce said. “I’ll see what I can do.”

"You know it" Terry yawned. He stretched, feeling his back pop as the the bones realigned themselves. More than anything, he wanted to spend time with Dana and focus on a love that he knew was right.


End file.
